2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 114 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 33% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 23,600 miles. The words owners use most often: “battery fire” (7% of reports).
- 114electrical system complaints
- 23,600median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Battery fire: mentioned in 8 of 114 complaints (7%)
- High voltage: mentioned in 8 of 114 complaints (7%)
- Software update: mentioned in 8 of 114 complaints (7%)
- Park garage: mentioned in 6 of 114 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 26 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 114 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 4 a fire.
Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Bolt EV | 2 | 40% | — |
| 2023 Bolt EV | 17 | 28% | — |
| 2022 Bolt EV | 29 | 49% | 6,612 |
| 2021 Bolt EV | 33 | 49% | 5,000 |
| 2020 Bolt EV | 94 | 54% | 35,000 |
| 2019 Bolt EV | 85 | 48% | 15,000 |
| 2018 Bolt EV | 30 | 34% | 12,702 |
| 2017 Bolt EV | 114 | 33% | 23,600 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction batteryPark outside
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 20V-701. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Defective battery modules will be replaced by GM, free of charge. Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N212343880.
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction batteryPark outside
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2017-2018 and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-701 will still need to have the new remedy under recall 21V-560. GM will notify owners, and as an interim repair, beginning on November 17, 2020, dealers will reprogram the hybrid propulsion control module 2 (HPCM2) to limit the full charge to 90%, free of charge. Owners are advised to activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, or park outside, until the software update is completed. Owners were notified of the interim repair beginning November 17, 2020. The second notice was mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N202311730.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Backup camera failed to turn on.
I started losing Regen braking intermittently, when this happens the brakes themselves don't work well and there's no warning, you lift of the pedal expecting the car to stop and its rolling freely, to push brake and its not stopping like you expect, then it thuds and lunges forward a bit and…
I am reporting a safety issue involving the high-voltage battery system of my vehicle. Vehicle: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 87,125 miles The vehicle has generated a P302F diagnostic trouble code, which indicates high-voltage battery cell imbalance. This condition may pose a safety…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVs have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 114 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV (33% of the 349 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical system?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 23,600 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
The most frequent phrase is “battery fire”, in 8 of 114 complaints, followed by “high voltage” (8).
Other 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems
See all 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems or electrical system problems across all Bolt EV years.